Hi all, this is my first post here. I am attempting to find some Presbyterian records for my husbands family. His ancestor Elizabeth McIlwain gave her place of birth as Newtonhamilton, I believe though that her father Robert was a farmer nearby to there in a place called Aghincurk. I am trying to help a DNA match figure out how she connects to my husbands family as she is having trouble tracing past her ancestor Jane McIlwaine who married in Cladymore about 1890. She gives her father as John McIlwaine, a policeman So I am attempting to find out if my husbands Robert McIlwain and Margaret Frazer had a son named John (likely - Roberts father was John), and if so, are there any records about who John married available in the local parish records. So far I have found with relative certainty that Robert and Margaret had children James, Elizabeth, Mary, Margaret and Robert. Children were born from 1833 onwards. There may be more though! Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Sally2154
Monday 28th Dec 2020, 01:17AMMessage Board Replies
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There are several Presbyterian churches in and around Newtownhamilton. I researched Rev David Hamilton (the Minister who conducted the 1890 marriage) and he appears to have been in charge of Newtownhamilton 2ndPresbyterian church. It has records as follows:
Baptisms, 1823-1915; marriages, 1823-44 and 1862-1936; new communicants, 1823-61; communion roll, c.1870-1938; session minutes, 1827-9, with censures, 1824-9; lists of membership certificates received and given, 1823-41; census of the congregation, 1826.
There is a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. I don’t think the records are on-line anywhere so if you can’t get to PRONI yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net
Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, so could well be where Jane was baptised. She was born in Co Armagh going by the 1901 census anyway:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Clady/Ballylane/1016516/
In case you don’t have it, here’s the death for Robert McIlwaine of Aghincurk, in 1887:
Here’s his daughter Mary Ann marrying in 1874 in the Church of Ireland (ie Episcopalian), so a different denomination to Jane. So possibly a different family to the Presbyterian family:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_re…
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Monday 28th Dec 2020, 05:22AM -
That is enormously helpful. Thank you! Most of the records I have found to date, including here in Australia, indicate that they were Presbyterian even though Mary Anne married in an Episcopalian church. The later census record denotes she was Presbyterian. There is a very odd marriage record I have found for parents Robert and Margaret Frazer in 1833, the groom is named as McIkwaine but "scrubbed out". Bride is Margaret Frazer. I am not sure why! But I have only been able to see a transcript. This was at the 2nd Presbyterian church in Newtonhamilton. Thanks for the insight!!
Sally2154
Monday 28th Dec 2020, 11:15PM -
Sally,
If you get someone to look the 2nd churches records up, don’t overlook the 1826 census of the congregation. A handy way of getting some additional information.
PRONI is closed just now due to Covid and won’t be open again for a month or two, I am sure.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Tuesday 29th Dec 2020, 12:25AM -
Thank you Elwyn!
Sally2154
Tuesday 29th Dec 2020, 11:10AM